In 1991, country music icon Reba McEntire experienced an unimaginable tragedy. On March 16, 1991, while performing at a private event in San Diego, seven members of her band and her tour manager lost their lives in a devastating aircraft crash.
The Fateful Night
After the San Diego concert, Reba and her band were scheduled to travel to their next gig in Fort Wayne, Indiana. While the rest of the band and tour manager departed for their flight, Reba, her then-husband and manager Narvel Blackstock, and her stylist Sandi Spika remained in San Diego for the night.
The Tragic Crash
In a poignant 2012 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Reba recounted the heart-wrenching details of the incident. The second plane carrying the band members and tour manager landed safely at its destination, but the first plane, which had taken off earlier, crashed just 10 miles east of the airport. “The plane’s wing clipped a boulder on the edge of Otay Mountain, claiming the lives of everyone aboard,” Reba tearfully shared.
Reba described the moment she received the news, recounting, “Narvel returned to the hotel room where I was, late into the night, and shared the news that one of the planes had crashed.” Her voice trembling, she added, “I asked him, ‘Are they OK?’ He replied with uncertainty, ‘I don’t think so.’ The uncertainty was unbearable.”
The Aftermath and Tribute
In the wake of the tragedy, friends like Vince Gill and Dolly Parton offered to help Reba complete the tour, but she chose instead to honor her fallen band members with her next album, For My Broken Heart. The album, dedicated to those she lost, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over four million copies.
Reba continues to pay tribute to her band members every year on the anniversary of the crash. In 2014, she commemorated the anniversary on Instagram, and in 2016, the 25th anniversary, she traveled to San Diego and shared her journey with fans on social media.
A Moving Tribute
Reba wrote on social media, “Today marks the 25th anniversary of the plane accident. Last year in November, I returned to San Diego and took a helicopter to the crash site. I believe they know how much we miss them. My deepest condolences and prayers go out to all the families and friends affected.”
Let us join Reba McEntire in remembering the lives of her band members and honor their lasting legacy.
